Flying-machine.



n. CITRO.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICAIION FILED AUG.20, I913.

Pat ented May 16, 1916.

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FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATiON men AUG-20. ms.

Patented May16, 1916.

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FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May is, rare.

Application filed August 20, 1913. Serial No. 785,607.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DOMINICK Crrno, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying-h/lachines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in flying-machines and particularly to improvements in heavier-than-air flying-machines, commonly called aeroplanes; and an object of this invention is to simplify the construction, lessen the cost of manufacture and increase the efficiency of operation of such flying-machines.

One feature of this invention resides in the interconnection between the elevating planes, the balancing planes and the rudder, whereby the aviator by grasping a single member has under his control the mechanism for actuating these several parts; thus, a rocker-arm is provided by "rocking which back-and-forth the inclination of the elevating planes may be varied and by rocking which from side-to-side the balancing planes may be controlled, while upon the top of the rocker-arm there is mounted a steeringerably spring-hinged and arranged to be] thrown into'active position in pairs, diagonally-opposite ailerons constituting a pair for this purpose.

A third feature of this invention consists in the system of framing or bracing by which the several supporting members are interconnected so as to distribute the stresses upon alighting as well as during flight. The elevating planes are provided with braces to prevent buckling of the same.

Other features of this invention will be pointed out in the description and claims which follow hereinafter.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of this invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle, Figure l is a front elevation of the aeroplane; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a plan; Fig. 4 is a detail showing the aileron actuating mechanism; Fig. 5 is a detail of the main or operating rocker-arm, partly 1n section; and Fig. 6 is a detail showing on an enlarged scale the manner in which the supports or braces radiate from the end of the bearing for the elevating-planes shaft.

The machine is a biplane, having a lower plane a and an upper plane 6 of which the central portion b is curved; and between these planes are placed the usual uprights, struts or posts 7). The machine when on the ground is supported upon two frontwheels 03, d and a rear wheel 0. Upon the wheel-mounting d of each of the front wheels 0? rests the lower forked end 6' of an inclined brace e the upper end of-which is suitably fastened to the upper plane 5 at the front edge thereof to give stiflness and afford support thereto. Further, each front wheel-mounting d supports the lower .ends of a pair of inclined braces f the upper ends of which are suitably fastened to the lower plane a at the front edge thereof for the purpose of lending stiffness and support to the same. Between the front and rear trans verse frame-members a, a of the lower plane a there is provided a pair of lengthwise-extending engine-supporting strips g upon which is mounted the motor or engine 71. provided with the usual propeller z and a flywheel j. Each front wheel-mounting d supports the lower end of one of a pair of inclined engine-supporting braces 70 the upper ends of which are fastened to the rear transverse member a of the lower plane.- The rear ends of the lengthwiseextending engine-supporting strips 9' are fastened to the post b. Each front wheelmounting d is connected with the rear wheel-mounting c by means of a horizontal rod m which extends diagonally between the rear wheel-mounting 0 and the front wheelmounting d and to which is connected near the latter the lower end of an inclined brace a the upper end of which is fastened to the other end of which is connected to the rear frame member a" at a point about midway between the center and end of the same. In each socket-member 1*" there is fastened the front end of one of a pair of rearwardly-.

converging rudder-supporting frame-members s the rear ends of which are tied together by a crosspiece t and are supported by a pair of inclined braces to the lower ends of which rest upon the rear wheel-mounting 0. Each end of the transverse'sleeve p is supported by the upper end of an inclined brace '12 the lower end of which rests upon the rear Wheel-mounting c. On each side of the machine there is arranged a horizontal longitudinal shaft-supporting bar w the front end of which is fastened to a pair of the outside struts or posts I) and in the rear end of which is journaled an end i of the elevating-planes.shaft a: for which the sleeve p serves as a bearing and upon each end of which is mounted one of the ele vating planes Between the bars w there extends a horizontal transverse stiffener a and a vertical stiffener 2 extends between each pair of braces s, s and through the transverse stiffener a. The elevating planes 3/ are stiffened by bracesy, y to prevent their buckling or collapsing. Between the rudder-carrying frame-members 8 there is arranged the stationary, horizontal tailplane t above and below which lie the parts of the double vertical rudder 25 hereinafter referred to. I

At each end of each of the planes a, b, there is hinged an aileron 3 (or 3'). Each aileron is connected at its front end to the fronttransverseframe-member of the plane against which it normally lies by means of spring-hinges 4 which tend to throw the aileron normally into close contact with the plane. As is indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 these ailerons operate in pairs, the upper aileron 3 coacting .with the lower aileron 3' diagonally opposite it. To the front end of each of the horizontal longitudinal shaft-supporting bars w there is fastened a pair of guide-sleeves 5 in each of which there is slid'ably mounted a vertically disposed plunger-rod 6 (or 6). The upper end of the plunger-rod 6 is provided with a roller 6 which bears against the upper aileron 3 while the lower end of the other plunger-rod .6 bears against the lower aileron 3' through a similar roller 6". To the lower end of the plunger-rod 6 which bears against the upper aileron 3 there is fastened one end "of a cable 7 which passes over guide-pulleys 8 and at 9 is joined to one end of a similar cable 10, which likewise passes over guidepulleys 11 and the other end of which is fastened to the upper end of the plunger 6' that operates the diagonally-opposite lower aileron 3'. From the point 9 the two cables 7 10 extend as one cable 12 one end of which is fastened to a pivoted main operating rocker-arm 13.

From the foregoing description taken in connection. with the accompanying drawings, it will be gathered that the ailerons 3, 3 are operated in pairs, each pair consisting of'an upper aileron 3 and its diagonallyopposite coacting lower aileron 3'. Moreover, the construction on one side of the machine is substantially the same as that on the other, in so far as the aileron-actuating plungers 3, 3 and their attached cables 7, 10 are involved; therefore, no further particular description of these aileron-actuating plungers 6, 6 and their cables 7, 10 is deemed necessary here. It will be perferctly obvious furthermore from the description already given taken in connection with the accompanying drawings that the ailerons 3, 3", are thrown away from the planes 0;, b by rocking the operating-lever 18 from side to side and are thrown against the planes by the tension of the spring-hinges 4. In order to safeguard against accidents, each of the tion by means of these emergency springs 14.

At the front of the machine and below the level of the lower plane a thereof, there is mounted a rook-shaft 15 by which the operating rocker-arm 13 is carried but is pivotally connected therewith at 16 in such manner that it may be rocked from side to side as hereinbefore described. At each side of this main rocker-arm 13 there is fastened to the rocker-shaft 15 a downwardly-projecting rocker-arm 17 the lower free end of. which is connected by a link 18 to a downwardly-projecting rocker-arm 19 which is fastened to a second rock-shaft 20 which lies slightly above and in rear of the main rockshaft 15 and below the lower plane (I. At each end of this second rock-shaft 15 there is fastened an lipwardly-extending rockerarm 21 which is connected by a long linkrod 22 with the upper free end of an upwardly-extending rocker-arm 23 fastened upon the rock-shaft :1 near one end of the sleeve 17. Each link-rod :22 is controlled by a coil-spring 22' which tends to restore the elevating planes 3 to their horizontal position. The front end of each link-rod 2:2 ex

tends beyond the body portion of the machine and is supported in a sleeve-bracket e" fastened to one of the inclined braces e. i

. 20, a; and swing the elevating planes y into the desired position.

At the rear of the machine there is piv-. oted at 24 a vertical rudder or steeringplane 25, the upper part of which rests upon the crosspiece t supported by the ends of the rudder-supporting frame-member 8''. To this vertical rudder 25 are connected the rear ends of a pair of cables 26 each of which passes around a guide-pulley 27 at the rear of the machine and then around the guidepulley 28 at the front of the machine and the other (or front) end of which is fastened to a steering-wheel 29 rotatably mounted at 30 in the upper end of the main rocker-arm 13. It is obvious that by properly turning the steering-wheel 29 the rudder 25 may be thrown in the desired direction.

From the description hereinbefore given taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that the aviator seated at 31 (Fig.2) is able to change'the positions of the ailerons of the elevating planes and of the vertical rudder by manipulating a single instrumentality,-the operating rocker-arm 13, (which includes the steering-wheel 29 mounted thereon). This affords a compactness of structure and a unity of control which is highly desirable in heavier-than-air flying-machines and which makes for safety in flying in such machines. The rudder 25 is a double rudder and the parts thereof are connected at top and bottom by horizontally-disposed links 25'.

I claim:

1. A biplane having at each of its sides and outside the planes a pair of ailerons mounted one above the other and free to swing; and means for simultaneously throwing away from the planes the upper aileron on one side and the lower aileron on the opposite side independently of the other two ailerons. 1

2. A biplane having at each of its sides a pair of spring-controlled hinged ailerons spring-held normally against the outside of the planes;and means for simultaneously throwing one aileron of each pair away" from the planes.

3. An aeroplane having spring-controlled ailerons spring-held normally against the outside of the planes; and means for mov ing the same into operative position about an axis extending substantially lengthwise of the aeroplane.

4. An aeroplane having hinged ailerons normally spring-pressed against the outside of the planes; and means for moving the same into operative position about an axis extending substantially lengthwise of the aeroplane.

5. An aeroplane having spring-controlled hinged ailerons. spring-held normally against the outside of the planes; and means for moving the same into operative position about an axis extending substantially lengthwise of the aeroplane.

6. An aeroplane having hinged ailerons spring pressed against the same and movable about an axis extending substantially lengthwise of the aeroplane; plunger-rods for moving the latter about said axis into operative position; and cables for moving said plunger-rods.-

7. An aeroplane having hinged ailerons spring pressed against the same and diagonally opposite each other; plunger-rods for moving the latter into operative position; and cables for moving said plungerrods, the cables leading to diagonally-opposite ailerons being connected and simultaneously operable.

8. An aeroplane having hinged ailerons spring-pressed against thesame and movable about an axis extending substantially lengthwise of the aeroplane; plunger-rods for moving the latter about said axis into operative position; cables for moving said plunger-rods; and a rocker-arm to which said cables are attached for moving the same.

9. An aeropla-ne having hinged ailerons spring-pressed against the outside of the aeroplane and movable about an axis extending substantially lengthwise of the latter; plunger-rods for moving the ailerons about said axis into operative position; and cables for moving said plunger-rods.

10. An aeroplane having a rocker-arm; a pair of rock-shafts connected together and arranged to be rocked by said rocker-arm; an elevating plane; and a spring-controlled link-rod which connects the latter with one of said rock-shafts.

11. A. biplane having diagonally opposite ailerons mounted outside the planes and movable about. axes extending substantially lengthwise of the planes; and mechanism for simultaneously throwing said allerons in opposite directions away from the planes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at New York city, N. Y., this sixteenth day of August A. D. 1913, in the presence'ot the two undersigned witnesses.

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